Abra-Melin Operation or ritual was first described in The Book
of Abramelin (see Abraham the Jew)
and then translated into The Sacred Magic of Abramelin by S. L. Mathers
in 1899, and employed by Aleister Crowley,
in 1904, as a major part of his Thelema magical system. The ritual is one
of the sternest to prepare for in occultism. Originally the preparation
time required eighteen months but Mathers reduced it to six and Crowley
followed suit. The prime goal of the magical operation is to obtain the
Knowledge and Conversation of the magician's Holy Guardian Angel.

The time spent in preparation is grueling. The magician is required to
work from sunrise to sunset. He has to lead a complete chase life, drink
no alcoholic beverages, and be scrupulously fair in all business dealings.

Once this preparation period has successfully completed his Holy Guardian
Angel appears to reveal magical secrets to the magician. Then the magician
must evoke the Four Great Princes of Evil in the World (Satan, Lucifer,
Leviathan, etc.), their eight sub-princes, and the 316 servitors which will
charge previously prepared talismans. Included among these entities are
four principle familiar spirits and other familiar spirits associated with
the magical word-squares talismans. Control over these entities and talismans
will enable the magician to satisfy his needs and desires.

There is nothing exceptional about the magical tasks for which the demons
can be commanded to perform; they resemble those typically promised of other
grimoires. The magician is promised the capability to buried treasure, to
cast love charms, to have magical flight, to possess invisibility among
other things.

Magic squares are predominantly in the instructions for conducting these
magical feats as does a recipe for the anointing oil (taken from Exodus
30) and used as ceremonial oil called Abramelin's Oil (a). Other ceremonial
tools include a holy Lamp, a Wand made of a special almond branch, a special
incense recipe (also taken from Exodus 30) presently known as Abramelin's
Incense (b), various robes, a square or seven sided plate of silver or (bees)
wax, and other tools.

The Abra-Melin Operation has been compared to The
Goetia especially by European scholars in that demons are conjured,
but the main focus of the former is the communication of the Holy Guardian
Angel. A.G.H.

Sources:

(a) This anointing oil was used to cleanse the Hebrew people attending
the service (Exodus 30:20).
(b) The incense was use to anoint the altar on which the burnt offerings
were placed as well as Aaron and his sons to sanctify them (Exodus 30:25-30).
The Book of Abramelin. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Book_of_Abramelin>.
Suster, Gerald. The Legacy of the Beast: The Life, Work and Influence
of Aleister Crowley. York Beach, ME. Samuel Weiser. 1989. p. 32